The Last Plastic Straw Movement

Plastic straws seem like a small, benign object we started getting as children whenever we drank anything from milk to a Coke. Fast-forward 25 years to a world where almost everything is touched by plastic. Our oceans are the most prominent case in point. Many people were horrified to see the image captured by nature photographer Justin Hoffman in September 2017 of a graceful little sea horse lugging around a dirty pink Q-Tip.

This image encapsulates the havoc being brought upon the oceans by an excess of garbage. There is a garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean and few spaces in the world not touched by human waste. The overwhelming majority of this waste is made from plastic. Plastic pollution is only getting worse with its prevalence in all of the products we use. It is also one of the major pollutants that does not naturally biodegrade. It is hard to escape plastic, but being more aware of our use is essential.

This is where the last straw movement comes in. This is the work of conservator and steward Jackie Nunez. She discovered Americans use more than 500 million straws a day and that stopping our straw consumption is one small way to connect the individual with the environment by making them mindful of how much plastic they consume.

The next time you are offered a straw, say no, if not for you, then for a seahorse or two.